Project aims to get drone data by delivering aid in Rwanda

Two organizations have teamed up for a humanitarian project in Rwanda which will also gather data for drone delivery companies anxious for regulators to open up the skies. Nathan Frandino reports.

▲ Hide Transcript

▶ View Transcript

With the rise in the popularity of drones... U.S. federal regulators are struggling to keep up.
But a new partnership between UPS and robotics start-up Zipline International may help get those regulators into the air.
NATS: "Should be able to fly hundreds of flights a day"
The aim is to get much needed data for the Federal Aviation Administration, which has concerns about drone delivery.
The Zipline project hopes to get that data by making medical deliveries in Rwanda, where blood and vaccines are normally delivered by motorcycle.
NATS: "It's loaded already with the medicine, you put it in the bay, close the doors, lock them in place, and it's ready for delivery."
UPS Foundation President Eduardo Martinez says it combines humanitarian efforts with business practices.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE UPS FOUNDATION EDUARDO MARTINEZ, SAYING:
"We do believe that supply chain, having an efficient and resilient supply chain saves lives and so we've been actively engaged with organizations around the world bringing relief when supply chains are inefficient and broken."
And once those deliveries begin, the two organizations can focus on fulfilling humanitarian projects from the skies and helping to make package delivery a U.S. reality.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen riding a brown bear in mediaeval armour, cuddling a puppy and dressed as Santa Claus - it's not his latest series of publicity photos, but the artwork at a new Moscow exhibition

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day. Reuters provides trusted business, financial, national, and international news to professionals via Thomson Reuters desktops, the world's media organizations, and directly to consumers at Reuters.com and via Reuters TV. Learn more about Thomson Reuters products: